John Dawson (musician)
John "Marmaduke" Dawson (born June 16, 1945 in Detroit , Michigan , † July 21, 2009 in San Miguel de Allende , Mexico ) was an American musician , singer and guitarist . He became known as a founding member of the country rock formation The New Riders of the Purple Sage .
Life
Dawson played in the San Francisco folk scene in the early 1960s in bands such as the New Delhi River Band , the Mescaline Bompers and the Grateful Dead predecessor Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (with Jerry García and David Nelson ). When The New Riders of the Purple Sage was created as a side project of the Grateful Dead in 1969, Dawson was a founding member. Dawson was the lead singer, guitarist and, in the early days, the most important song supplier for the band.
Dawson remained loyal to the New Riders, who were plagued by frequent staff changes, as the only band member until the end. In 1997 he broke up the band to retire in Mexico. There Dawson earned his living as an English teacher. Occasionally, however, he was drawn back on stage for New Riders' reunion concerts, for example in September 2002 at the Doobie Awards, when The New Riders of the Purple Sage were recognized for their life's work.
When the New Riders went on an extensive revival tour in 2005/06, Dawson no longer took part for health reasons. In July 2009 he died of stomach cancer in his adopted home San Miguel de Allende.
Web links
- Official website of the New Riders of the Purple Sage
- John Dawson in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Country rocker John Dawson has died . Retrieved August 15, 2009
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dawson, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dawson, Marmaduke (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician, singer and guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 16, 1945 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Detroit |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 21, 2009 |
| Place of death | San Miguel de Allende |